Low bounce was the only bit of assistance that there was for the India spinners from the Green Park pitch, which did not deteriorate even on the fifth day of the Test.
Ravindra Jadeja (4/40), Ravichandran Ashwin (3/35) and Axar Patel (1/23) were still consistent enough to pitch the ball in the right areas. With New Zealand going into an ultra-defensive mode with the bat, India were close to a victory but failed to separate the last-wicket pair of Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel.
The 52-ball unbroken vigil in fading daylight from debutant Ravindra (18 not out) and No.11 batsman Ajaz (two not out) helped New Zealand to a great escape as the first Test in Kanpur ended in a draw on Monday. Set a target of 284, New Zealand laboured to 165/9 when the stumps were drawn.
India looked all set to register what would have been a fantastic win without regular captain Virat Kohli and some of the other regulars. But no matter how hard the Indians tried, they just couldn’t break the resistance of two Indian-origin cricketers, whose resolve enabled New Zealand to open their account in the World Test Championship (WTC) second cycle with four crucial points.
Throughout the Test, New Zealand had their moments only to keep losing the plot soon after. On the final day, resuming on 4/1, overnight batsmen Tom Latham and night-watchman Will Somerville did exceedingly well to remain unscathed in the first session.
Even after Somerville’s departure off the first ball of the post-lunch session, the situation never really appeared difficult for the visitors as captain Kane Williamson looked solid from the onset, defending confidently while also not
hesitating to come down the track and loft Ashwin straight over. But the set Latham (52) all of a sudden went into a shell and just as was the case in the first innings, he perished to a soft dismissal against the run of play.
That was the opening India needed as New Zealand kept losing wickets at regular intervals from thereon. But the grit with which Ravindra and Ajaz battled the adversities in the last 8.4 overs of the Test offered an indication as to why New Zealand are the No.1-ranked Test team currently.
Standout effort
The ball didn’t do much except for keeping low at times, but that was enough for Jadeja to torment the rival batsmen. Relying largely on the arm-ball to prize out the scalps of Ross Taylor and Williamson, Jadeja was also able to get the ball to drift and spin away from the edge of the bat.
That drift earned him the wickets of Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee as India’s victory looked more or less confirmed then.
The left-armer also had Ravindra adjudged lbw in the final session with one that spun in and kept very low. But the 22-year-old youngster utilised the DRS to good effect to reverse the decision as the impact of the ball was outside off-stump.
Saha ‘better’
Wriddhiman Saha, team sources said, was “slightly better” after stiffness in his neck kept him off the field throughout the final day. Saha was able to keep wickets for just two overs after hitting a valiant 61 not out during India’s second innings on Day IV. His condition is being monitored with barely three days to go for the second Test in Mumbai.
